A world where every neighbour is a friend
by Norwegianne
Summary: Leo McGarry has a new house, and a New Year's Eve party.


Disclaimer: The West Wing are the property of Aaron Sorkin, etc. Buffy the Vampire Slayer are the property of Fox, and not the yummy yellow lemony sweet that is called Fox, in case you were wondering.  
  
ABBA owns Happy New Year, a song I listen to all year round.  
  
A/N: A general timeframe, Wesley has been shut out due to the kidnapping of Connor, Willow is with her cousin Josh in Washington. it's intended as happy fluff for a new year, and new beginnings. As the rest of my Christmas series is.  
  
*lifts up her class of alcohol-free cider* Here's to 2003, and whatever it gave us, and 2004, whatever it might bring.  
  
2004 is barely two hours old, and this ended up more rushed than I thought it would be: but here it is.  
  
Dedication: To Jinni, and everybody else at Twisting the Hellmouth, and its forum. Just for being who you are, sensitive and creative people.  
  
No more champagne And the fireworks are through Here we are, me and you Feeling lost and feeling blue It's the end of the party And the morning seems so grey So unlike yesterday Now's the time for us to say...  
  
Wesley Wyndham-Price looked over at the pretty redhead.  
  
He wasn't quite sure why he was in Washington DC celebrating New Years Eve, or if it was indeed worth celebrating at all. His past year had been horrible.  
  
The prophecy had been wrong.  
  
He had kidnapped Connor for nothing.  
  
He had lost all his friends.  
  
He had a brand new scar on his throat, courtesy of Justine.  
  
He had trouble talking in a loud voice. He had trouble doing anything louder than whispering.  
  
And his father had pulled seniority on him and insisted that he'd attend the party of an old friend.  
  
He didn't quite know what his father and Mr. McGarry had in common, but the host had looked pleased to see him, even offered him a welcome-drink, one without alcohol.  
  
He thought he'd seen Willow Rosenberg here too.  
  
Maybe he was hallucinating, the doctors had told him that the pain-killers could cause hallucinations.  
  
Why would Willow be in Washington instead of back in Sunnydale with the Slayer?  
  
He cast another glance at the pretty redhead over by the potted palm. She was talking with a fellow he thought he recognized from some of the talk- shows that had been running through his television set during the recuperation-period.  
  
He dimly remembered that the dark-haired man worked in the White House, in some capacity. American politics weren't Wesley's forte. As long as he was allowed to stay a continent away from his father, everything was all right in his world.  
  
Sometimes I see How the brave new world arrives And I see how it thrives In the ashes of our lives Oh yes, man is a fool And he thinks he'll be okay Dragging on, feet of clay Never knowing he's astray Keeps on going anyway...  
  
Willow grinned at Josh. He would much rather have arrived with Donna, everybody knew that, including Donna. But she had been dateless in Washington, and her cousin had been sweet enough to bring her to Mr. McGarry's New Year's party.  
  
Of course since they had arrived early he had spent most of the time there to look at the door, for Donna's arrival. After having secured herself a glass of the alcohol-free champagne, she had stood with him, looking at the door.  
  
It was truly pathetic when she couldn't get a date for New Year's Eve and had to be a burden on her cousin. And since she had discovered that she was bisexual, wouldn't that mean that she would have the option of twice as many fish in the dating pool?  
  
Finally, there was Donna. Unless she wanted to spend the evening nauseated, from their adoring gazes, she might want to find some other people to converse with. She glanced around at the crowd.  
  
Wesley Wyndham-Price? What the hell was he doing here?  
  
There had been no alcohol in her champagne, she was sure of that.  
  
So Wesley, who had wanted to sacrifice her for the cause of good, was at the same party.  
  
"Aw, what the hell," she muttered and went over to him.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Miss Rosenberg, what are you doing here?" His voice sounded raspy, and it wasn't much louder than a whisper. It was lucky that this wasn't one of the college parties, the music here was civilized, and the volume level was so that one could talk to the other guests, and be able to hear what they said.  
  
"I came with my cousin, Josh Lyman, he's over there with that blonde woman. You?"  
  
"My father is a friend of our host."  
  
"Ah," she sipped from her glass and watched him take a sip from his. "And you're thinking about putting the moves on his daughter?"  
  
"What? I can assure you, Miss Rosenberg, that I am thinking no such thing," he whispered rapidly as he looked over the crowd and inched towards Willow. "Which one is his daughter, if you would be so kind as to indicate her to me, Miss Rosenberg?"  
  
"I think we've been through enough together. You can call me Willow, you know, and Mallory is that redhead over there, with Sam Seaborn."  
  
Wesley blanched and Willow laughed. "You've got to admit it. You were thinking about putting the moves on Mr. McGarry's daughter."  
  
"She looks rather cozy with Mr. Seaborn."  
  
"Let's go over, I can put the moves on him while you do it to her, or we can switch."  
  
"Miss Rosenberg!"  
  
"Wesley? Come on. I want me someone to kiss before the year ends, and I would rather it be someone that Cordelia haven't had before me."  
  
"That would exclude me, then."  
  
"Yes. It would. So please help me out here."  
  
Happy new year Happy new year May we all have a vision now and then Of a world where every neighbour is a friend Happy new year Happy new year May we all have our hopes, our will to try If we don't we might as well lay down and die You and I  
  
Mallory O'Brien was having fun. Her father had finally found a house, and moved out of the hotel, and was having a New Year's Eve Party. He had had a cleaning crew, and caterer who dealt with the food, so all she had to do was get dressed and show up.  
  
She was actually having a very nice time too. Sam was speaking of some thing or another that he wanted to bring her to, as friends. The last time they had tried dating she had ended up ignored and passed by in favour of his work. She had noticed that he treated his friends better than he treated his girlfriends.  
  
Besides, she had noticed a very interesting man with glasses over by the Christmas tree. He filled out his tux in a very nice way. And he kept gazing over at her, whenever he thought she wasn't looking. All in all very promising.  
  
Until the redhead showed up. They looked much too friendly for her taste.  
  
At least she was a redhead, which meant that tall dark and handsome had excellent taste in women.  
  
Happy new year Happy new year May we all have a vision now and then Of a world where every neighbour is a friend Happy new year Happy new year May we all have our hopes, our will to try If we don't we might as well lay down and die You and I 


End file.
